A native of Wakanda, he was born under the name N’Jadaka. When Ulysses Klaw and his mercenaries attacked Wakanda, they press-ganged N’Jadaka’s father into helping them; when Klaw was defeated, the father died and his family was exiled. N’Jadaka ended up in Harlem, New York, nursing a hatred against the supervillain and T’Challa, the king who’d exiled him. He changed his name to Erik Killmonger and studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, desperate to avenge his father’s death.

He eventually contacted King T’Challa and was repatriated back to Wakanda … He became a subversive, with dreams of ridding Wakanda of what he termed “white colonialist” cultural influences and return it entirely to its ancient ways

Chadwick Boseman, who appeared as “T’Challa/Black Panther” in Captain America: Civil War, will reprise his role, and it was also announced that Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira — known for her portrayal of “Michonne” on The Walking Dead” will also join the cast with Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) set to direct.